RussLeona Trip 10/22/12 Monuments

We went on a National Parks Tour of the monuments today that started at 8:30 am.  A very knowledgeable Park Ranger took six of us in a van.  As we toured each monument, he explained the designer, what he was trying to convey and how we should view it.  It was very interesting and he greatly added to our experience of touring the monuments.  We finished the tour at 3:30 pm.  The tour was scheduled by our Senator's staff.

We weren't able to go up in the Washington Monument as the damage from the recent earthquake is being repaired.  However, almost everywhere you go the monument is majestically standing up over the Mall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being one of the largest, the Lincoln Monument recognizes President Lincoln for his part in reuniting our country and freeing the slaves.  He knew that reuniting the country would be a challenge and his monument shows his concerns.

The President Jefferson is very beautiful.  He played a very important part of our country's development.  He wrote the Declaration of Independence and worked on the development of our Constitution.

The beautiful new World War II monument recognizes the ~400,000+ that lost their lives and the sacrifices of the families from every state and territory.

The Korean War Memorial shows soldiers from every branch of our armed forces moving through a field in front of a beautiful reflection wall.  South Korea was saved and has developed into one of the World's leading economies.

The Vietnam Memorial Wall lists the names of 58,000+ people that lost their lives in the war.  The  Memorial, as a whole, represents the entire country.  The wall represents wound that was gouged from our heart.

The President F.D.Roosevelt Memorial is one that our guide added a great perspective.  President Roosevelt led us through the recovery of the Stock Market Crash, World War II,started the United Nations Organization,  implemented Social Security, Federal Deposit Insurance, Farm Programs, and other key programs.  He was one of the most popular Presidents who significantly impacted our lives today.

The Martin Luther King Memorial is a representation from one of his speeches when he says "out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope".  You have to respect the achievements of this great man.